Don't let your CaRVTA membership expire!

Memberships that were extended through March 31, 2015 will be expiring at the end of the month. To find out when your membership will expire, go to the Member Directory.

CaRVTA is the only statewide association for veterinary technicians run by veterinary technicians. We represent you at the Veterinary Medical Board and the legislature. We keep you informed about issues of interest. We also offer world-class CE at our annual Back-to-School Conference for technicians and assistants at UC Davis. Our web site keeps you informed about CE and our Job Board lets you know about jobs that are available. We also offer many great Member Benefits like free legal consultation and discounts on RVT schools and textbooks. Take a moment to check your membership status & renew today by clicking here or using the Join/Renew button at the top of the page!

Memberships are good for one year from the date of renewal.

CVTEA Requests Your Input (Survey)

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) is the entity responsible for accreditation of veterinary technology programs nationwide.

As part of a cyclical review process, the CVTEA is seeking input from entry-level veterinary technicians (graduating between the years of 2009 to 2014) on the requisite skills taught in veterinary technology schools and proposed changes to those requirements. The Committee asks for your input on how this list compares to the tasks you are asked to perform as an entry-level veterinary technician at your place of employment.

We would appreciate you taking the time to complete the following survey. Completion should take approximately 15 minutes. The survey deadline is March 31, 2015

Please note - this survey does not cover all the skills required or recommended by CVTEA. The survey only covers the following sections:

OFFICE AND HOSPITAL PROCEDURES

CLIENT RELATIONS

COMMUNICATION

ANESTHESIA

IMAGING

Your responses are voluntary and will be confidential. Responses will not be identified by individual. All responses will be compiled together and analyzed as a group.

Reg/Leg Report for February 19, 2015

Topics Covered:

Alternate Route

Student Exemptions

Faculty Licensure

Minimum Standards

Premise Permits

Public Comment

Vacancies on MDC

Alternate Route

The Veterinary Medical Board’s (VMB) Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee (MDC) met on February 19 in Sacramento. The first item on the agenda was a review of Alternate Route programs. At it’s last meeting, the VMB directed the MDC to propose regulations to approve Alternate Route schools, while insuring that the requirements for those programs was equivalent to the requirements for other approved RVT schools in California. The VMB also directed the MDC to eliminate the “ad hoc” or self-directed option for Alternate Route candidates, because it believed that the “ad hoc” pathway could not be made equivalent and that there was now sufficient access to Alternate Route schools.

The MDC reviewed a list of the Alternate Route schools that it was aware of and the curriculum offered at those schools. They also reviewed regulatory language that had been prepared by staff. The proposal included the academic requirements from Section 2065 of the Practice Act, which describes the criteria for evaluating “equivalent programs”. The Committee made a few changes to the proposal, including eliminating the word “directed” from the term “directed clinical practice”, which describes the work requirements. They also eliminated the language that required all academic courses to be “interactive”, which would allow candidates to watch webinars and videos that are not live. They agreed that the schools would be required to keep their pass rate on the VTNE only within 10 points of the state average for first time candidates, concluding that out-of-state programs could not be held responsible for the California RVT Law Exam results. The MDC also agreed that the new regulation would include an effective date when the “ad hoc” or self-directed pathway would be eliminated, to give candidates using that pathway sufficient notice. The proposal as amended by the MDC will be put into regulatory language by staff and will be presented to VMB at its April meeting. New regulations are taking anywhere from 1-4 years to become effective, so it is impossible at this time to know exactly when the proposed changes would be in effect.

Student Exemptions

A law went into effect in 2011 giving RVT students an exemption that allows them to perform restricted RVT job tasks during their final year of study. The VMB was directed to write regulations defining the level of supervision required for these students. The MDC had considerable discussion about just what constitutes the “final year”, since Alternate Route RVT programs can be as short as 17 weeks, while some AVMA programs are 15-18 months and others are 4 years. The Committee decided to send a letter to all the RVT schools asking them at what point they think their students are exposed to the education needed to safely perform the tasks and at what point they think the exemption should apply. They agreed to put this item on the agenda for the next meeting after hearing from the schools.

Faculty Licensure

Also on the agenda was licensure for faculty at the 2 veterinary schools in California. Currently, faculty at these schools is exempt from licensure by statute. The VMB is under pressure to license the faculty as a method of protecting the public should there be a problem. There was a considerable difference of opinion among MDC members – some arguing that faculty should be required to be licensed just as all other practicing veterinarians are, while others argued that it was not reasonable to require a process that could end up losing the universities their best candidates. After much discussion, the MDC decided to consult with the deans from UC Davis and the Western University School of Veterinary Medicine and to revisit the subject at their next meeting.

Minimum Standards

The MDC approved several minor changes to the Minimum Standards for Small Animal Vaccination Clinics. They also approved small changes to the Veterinarian-Client-Patient –Relationship in the absence of client communications and Written Prescriptions in the absence of the originally prescribing veterinarian. They discussed that shelters should have new standards for vaccination when a veterinarian is not present and agreed to research the current status before proceeding.

Premise Permits

The MDC is still planning to work with CVMA’s Task Force on Premise Permits, so action was postponed until after the Task Force meets.

Public Comment

During the Public Comment period, Nancy Ehrlich, RVT, CaRVTA’s Regulatory Advocate, informed the MDC that there are on-going problems with how the VMB is handling Alternate Route applications. She asked the VMB to take these problems seriously since the “ad hoc” or self-directed pathway is still in effect and will be for some time. She noted that CaRVTA gets frequent complaints that decisions are being made in an arbitrary manner that is inconsistent with how the regulation is supposed to be administered and that candidates feel they are not being treated fairly.

Vacancies on MDC

Annemarie DelMugnaio, the Executive Office of the VMB, reported that several MDC members’ terms are expiring on June 30. While some of them are eligible for re-appointment, she pointed out that the VMB would be accepting applications from interested parties. There will be openings for an RVT and for several veterinarians. The terms are for 3 years. The MDC meets 3-4 times per year. Anyone interested in applying for a position should send a letter of interest and resume to vmb@dca.ca.gov.

Letters of interest will be accepted until the appointment has been made; however, letters received by 5 p.m. Friday, April 10, 2015, will be considered at the Board’s April 28, 2015 meeting in Sacramento, California.

Research Survey Invitation

Licenced vet tech Peg Wheeler asks for your help:

"Dear Colleagues – My name is Peg Wheeler. I am a licensed veterinary technician and the Program Director for the new Veterinary Technology program at York County Community College in Wells, Maine. I’m also a graduate student at the University of Southern Maine where I am working on my capstone project for my Master’s Degree in Adult and Higher Education...

“my focus really is on the value of mentoring”

"...Working on my Masters as I build this program has been serendipitous as I’ve been able to support much of our program building through various projects in my program. I'm currently working on developing our practicum experiences and I’m designing my capstone project at USM to research how we can best structure practicum experiences for veterinary technology students and my focus really is on the value of mentoring. I believe, and I hope to illustrate through study and interviews, that a student that finds a good mentor as part of a practicum experience will have a more meaningful learning experience. I am writing to you in hopes of getting feedback from veterinary technicians about their educational experience. I have set up a survey through surveymonkey and here is the link. . I would deeply appreciate it if you could share this with any vet techs/graduates you think would be willing to participate. It is anonymous unless they wish to provide comments with names, etc.

In addition to completing the survey, I would love to hear any thoughts about what worked best or what didn’t work so well in the educational experiences of your members. Anyone who would like to contribute comments directly to me is welcome to email me at either mwheeler@yccc.edu or margaret.wheeler@maine.edu.

Thank you for your assistance and please let me know if you have questions!

2015 IVECCS Website is LIVE!

The 2015 International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium (IVECCS) website is now LIVE!

IVECCS offers the highest-quality continuing education and is attended by the world's most progressive veterinarians, technicians and practice managers representing specialty/referral practice, general practice, academia, and research institutions.

The theme for IVECCS 2015 is "Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care" which will be integrated into the wide range of emergency and critical care topics included in the 400 hours of scientific program presentations. Great science and practical application are equally emphasized in our IVECCS program. Comprehensive Practice Management program included. No national meeting is more highly acclaimed!

This year our venue is the Gaylord National Harbor, a breathtaking setting on the banks of the historic Potomac River, minutes from the Washington DC monuments, museums and Old Town Alexandria. Seize the opportunity, come early, enjoy the area and participate in this powerful CE experience.

Job Fair for Foothill College Students and Alumni

Foothill College, in Los Altos Hills, is holding an Internship & Career Fair on the evening of February 4th. The fair is open to current and former Foothill College students. The doors of their Dining hall (Room 2201) open at 5:30 for registration and Networking. At 6:00 you'll hear about "Careers in Veterinary Medicine" from Dr. Julie Smith, the Medical Director at SAGE. The job fair will end at 8:00.

They ask that you RSVP and bring a copy of your resume to share with employers.

For additional information about this event they as that you email Phuong Tran at, tranphuong@foothill.edu, or contact Dr. Lisa Eshman, Veterinary Technology Program Director, at eshmanlisa@foothill.edu, or by phone at (650) 949-7203.

Educational Opportunity in Florida

The University of Florida Small Animal Hospital is offering paid internships for graduate veterinary technicians. They are currently recruiting for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Anesthesia Free Teeth Cleaners Put Out of Business

Canine Care; Apollo Pet Care, Inc; and Cindy Collins accepted a stipulated final judgement and permanent injunction against performing anesthesia free teeth cleaning without a license. They were also ordered to pay $150,000 by the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa on October 16, 2014. There are 10 violations listed in the injunction. Ms. Collins had been a leader in the 'anesthesia free dentistry" movement.

Jennifer Loredo Joins CA Veterinary Medical Board

Jennifer Loredo, 34, of Riverside, has been appointed to the California Veterinary Medical Board. Loredo has been the supervising registered veterinary technician at the Riverside County Department of Animal Services since 2005. She was a registered veterinary technician at Advanced Critical Care and Internal Medicine from 2004 to 2005 and at the Animal Hospital of Walnut from 2001 to 2004. Loredo was a patient relations representative at Magan Medical Clinic from 1997 to 2003. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Loredo is registered without party preference. Kim Williams, the first RVT to serve on the Veterinary Medical Board, was appointed in 2010 and has been replaced by Ms. Loredo.

Governor Signs Bill Providing for Paid Sick Leave Starting July 2015

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (AB 1522) by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), which provides paid sick days to the millions of Californians -- roughly 40% of the state's workforce -- who do not currently earn this benefit.

This bill specifically requires employers to provide paid sick leave to employees who work 30 or more days within a year from commencement of employment and employees will earn a...

...minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

"Whether you're a dishwasher in San Diego or a store clerk in Oakland, this bill frees you of having to choose between your family's health and your job," said Governor Brown. "Make no mistake, California is putting its workers first."

"As a single working Mom, I know first-hand the challenge of having to juggle a sick child who needs to see a doctor and your responsibilities at work," said Assemblymember Gonzalez. "But no parent should have to experience the heartache of having to choose between making the rent and taking care of their child. I am exceptionally proud to have authored this pro-family, pro-worker and pro-public health legislation and very grateful that my Democratic colleagues in the Legislature and Governor Brown also appreciate the need enough to make California the leader in the nation on this issue."

With the Governor's signature, California becomes only the second state in the nation to require paid sick leave. The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 will go into effect July 1, 2015.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2014

Another successful Back-to-School-Conference was held in Gladys Valley Hall on the UC Davis campus on July 26-27. The 7th Annual Back-to-School Conference, which is co-sponsored by CaRVTA and UC Davis, is the largest all technician conference in California, if not the US.

The CaRVTA Board Members at BTS

300 technicians and assistants attended the conference in-person and by live webinar. This year, all 3 tracks were available by webinar, making the conference a very convenient way to obtain all 16 hours of required interactive CE. In addition to the 3 lecture tracks, there were 2 hands-on workshops, which gave the attendees the opportunity to learn about anesthetic protocols and monitoring directly from experts from the UC Davis Veterinary School.

The conference received support from a generous group of sponsors, most of whom had exhibit tables for the attendees to visit. The sponsors included Zoetis, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Cattle Dog Publishing, Covidien, Dechra, Embrace Pet Insurance, Henry Schein, IDEXX, Jorgensen, Mid-Peninsula Animal Hospital, Surgivet Smiths Medical, Trupanion and Vetoquinol. CaRVTA extends a hearty thank you to the sponsors for their support of technician education.

A BTS attendee receivesher winnings

In addition to the excellent education and the exhibits at the conference, attendees were delighted by the many raffles and opportunities to win fun prizes donated by the sponsors and CaRVTA. With so many technicians in attendance, Back-to-School was a great opportunity to network and to meet colleagues from around the state.

CaRVTA and UC Davis are already working on plans for next’ year’s 8th Annual Back-to-School. Ideas or suggestions can be emailed to info@carvta.org.

CaRVTA's Annual Meeting

The California Registered Veterinary Technicians Association held our annual meeting during the Saturday lunch hour at the Back-to-School Conference. CaRVTA President, Allyne Moon, presented Sandy Gregory with CaRVTA's RVT of the Year award, which consisted of a beautiful plaque, a $500 honorarium and free conference registration. She also unveiled the Nancy Ehrlich Scholarship - a needs based scholarship available to CaRVTA members in need of CE assistance. She also announced that Brenda Baze, RVT was the winner of the Bob Smith Memorial Award (a Littman Cardiology III Stethoscope), and the exciting news that the Veterinary Medical Board had unanimously voted to back CaRVTA’s petition to the Governor to declare the 3rd week of each October, CA RVT Week.

Allyne discussed openings on the Board of Directors and how to run for office. CaRVTA Directors and Mentor Committee Chairs Jeff Backus and Stephen Cital held an informational meeting about the Mentor Committee during the late afternoon break. CaRVTA Treasurer and Legislative Committee Chair, Nancy Ehrlich, was on hand both days answering questions and giving advice on VMB and RVT Alternate Route Issues.

All in all, this was a successful Symposium. Special thanks to all of our sponsors and vendor, who’s generous support made this event possible. We can’t wait to see everyone again next year! If you would like to donate to CaRVTA’s Nancy Ehrlich Scholarship fund, please visit www.carvta.org, click the donate button in the upper right corner, and enter your donation on line.

Need help paying for school?

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For more opportunities to save, join the Wiley email service. In addition to hearing about more special offers, you'll find out about new products, author appearances, and more.

Now Available! CaRVTA's RVT Exam Study Guide

CaRVTA has just released our latest publication, a new RVT Exam Study Guide for RVT candidates taking the new Law Exam. Beginning March 1, all candidates will be required to take the California Veterinary Technician Examination (Law Exam) plus the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). The Study Guide contains all of the laws and regulations that may appear on the law exam test in one handy book. Buy Now at the CaRVTA Online Store!

More than 70 million dogs live in the United States. Half of them over the age of 10 will die of cancer. In fact, cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs over the age of 2. CaRVTA is a proud supporter of the Morris Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, which will track 3,000 volunteer Golden Retrievers' health for life in order to gain insights into preventing and treating cancer and other canine diseases. The Foundation is seeking to enroll 3,000 volunteer Golden Retrievers for this study, which will collect observational data over the next 10 to 14 years to help scientists learn how to prevent cancer and other diseases that take the lives of our dogs too soon. If you are an owner, enroll your dog today. If you are a veterinarian, encourage clients to register. If you are a breeder, help spread the word. Visit caninelifetimehealth.org to learn more!

Reminders

As of March 1, 2014, prospective California RVTs are required to take the National Veterinary Technician Examination (VTNE) and the California RVT Examination, which is an exam restricted to Veterinary Law. Read more

Our Mission

The California Registered Veterinary Technicians Association is dedicated to strengthening the veterinary health care team and promoting the role of the licensed RVT in the veterinary care profession.